South Korea's PPP in turmoil as nomination chief resigns ahead of local elections
Seoul — The ruling People Power Party (PPP) is grappling with internal discord as Lee Jeong-hyun, the chair of the party’s nomination management committee, announced his resignation on March 13, 2026. The move comes as local elections approach and Seoul’s mayor Oh Se-hoon has delayed additional candidacy filings.
Jang Dong-hyuk, the PPP’s leader, and floor leader Song Eon-seok met with other top figures to discuss the chair’s departure and to press for his return, signaling an effort to prevent a leadership vacuum ahead of mayoral and other local races.
Lee Jeong-hyun said in a statement that while he saw the need for change in the nomination process and gave his best in the role, he could no longer pursue the path he believed was right. His resignation highlights underlying disagreements within the nominating committee over direction and strategy.
The friction is partly tied to how the PPP plans to conduct primaries for the Daegu and Busan mayors’ races, according to party secretary-general Jeong Hui-yong, who acknowledged some differing views among committee members about those processes.
Some insiders, however, view Oh Se-hoon’s failure to register for Seoul’s mayoral race as a primary driver behind the resignation. A PPP official cited by The300 said multiple factors are at play and that Oh’s non-registration could be central to the turmoil.
The party also signaled hesitation about an early launch of an “Innovation Campaign Committee” to chart election strategy, deeming it premature. Park Seong-hoon, the PPP’s senior spokesperson, warned that pressing for the leader’s resignation would be counterproductive and could deepen factional splits, while others said the chair’s return would revive discussions on whether to reopen Seoul’s mayoral candidate registration or pursue strategic nominations.
Amid the turmoil, Seoul’s local elections loom large for national politics. Incheon Mayor Yu Jung-bok urged all sides to show restraint and for leadership to demonstrate pragmatic compromise for the party’s credibility. Chungcheongnam-do Governor Kim Tae-hum likewise urged a balance between principle and pragmatism to preserve public trust.
Beyond Korea, the dispute matters for the United States because Seoul is a key ally, a major commercial hub, and a global tech manufacturing center. Local election outcomes can influence policy directions on economic reform, supply chains, and technology governance, with potential implications for U.S. firms, defense coordination, and regional stability in Northeast Asia.